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96 ford escort won't shift from park
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Jcomm96
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Nov 24, 2013, 7:15 PM
Post #1 of 25
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96 ford escort won't shift from park
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I bought a 1996 ford escort lx for 200$..the cars got 130k..but the only problem is the thing won't shift from park..we tried pushing the car back an forth but that didnt work..we tried putting a screwdriver in the little hole next to the shift that's supposed to free it up but that didn't work either..the brake lights come on so the switch isn't bad..any other ideas I could try or anything to help me?
Thanks
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Nov 25, 2013, 2:25 AM
Post #2 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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isn't that emergency hole mostly designed for a key (many may fit) to release shifter? Screwdriver may not be doing intended job.
You probably will have to get in there for more testing and observing both electrical and mechanical functions. FYI, this may be almost totally a Mazda with the FORD nameplate and minor cosmetics in that model year sharing similar or exact same parts,
T
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Nov 25, 2013, 3:34 AM
Post #3 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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That would be called the shift interlock feature. It operates on the same circuit as the brake lights so the first thing you want to do is to make sure the brake lights are working when this problem is present. If the brake lights are working, that proves the circuit is good up to that point, then you'll have to get to the solenoid in the console/column. Disassemble as much as you have to to access the solenoid near the shifting mechanism. Us a 12v test light to test for power coming and going at the solenoid when the brake is applied. If power is arriving and switching and the solenoid is not triggering, the solenoid is bad and will have to be replaced.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Jcomm96
User
Nov 25, 2013, 5:07 AM
Post #4 of 25
(3091 views)
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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Do you guys think the solenoid is seized up? An the shifter interlock hole is a a square shape not a key shape..the thing is its at my friends house ..I wanna get it out of there but can't get in neutral to tow..one more thing is you know how you can push a car like a few inches when it's in park? This escort is totally stuck in park..tires will not budge
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Nov 25, 2013, 5:11 AM
Post #5 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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The car is not going to roll in Park.........period
I gave you instructions on how to determine where the problem is.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Nov 25, 2013, 6:56 AM
Post #6 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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Shift interlock or not you still need to push a side button, squeeze something, push or pull one way or the other to shift OUT of park. Have you so much as figured out how it's supposed to operate?
For all anyone could know this thing for $200 bucks is so frozen up nothing is going to work well. It's worth the $200 in metal no doubt so test out and check things as said already.........
T
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Jcomm96
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Nov 25, 2013, 8:33 AM
Post #7 of 25
(3076 views)
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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It was my friends car..we drove it to his house an it sat for a month..it's runs fine,idles fine..engine is good..just the shifting problem. It clicks when I press the brake so does that mean the solenoid is good? What else could it be..bad cable? Bad linkage? I'm trying to get a bunch of ideas so I can get to his house today an fix it an drive it away.so if anyone needs any info that would help just ask
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Jcomm96
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Nov 25, 2013, 8:37 AM
Post #8 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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Also..I'm trying to do an oil change..tranny fluid an coolant flush an any other possible changes to make it run better..so what's the best motor oil an tranny fluid I should use
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Nov 25, 2013, 9:05 AM
Post #9 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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Between the lines it's not where you can take things apart to actually view what isn't moving properly but you hear something there. No telling what you might find till looking right at it.
Possibilities are about endless. Perhaps the screwdriver trick jammed it up??
One issue at a time. Objective seems to get it where you can work on it. Tow it if need be. Have a mechanic come out to it if that's a way for you. I can't help anymore on a screen if you can't look and test with it in front of you - done.
For later: Fluids and such - products that meet or exceed what the vehicle called for new listed in owner's manuals and usually parts outlets will have the products compatible for the specific vehicle.....
T
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Jcomm96
User
Nov 25, 2013, 9:11 AM
Post #10 of 25
(3067 views)
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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Later today or tomorrow..I'll take a video of my trying to shift it an showing the linkage under the hood trying to move an stuff.,i don't think you can post a video on here? So I'll just post it on YouTube an put up the link on here
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Nov 25, 2013, 9:28 AM
Post #11 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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Sport, there are ways to shift vehicles without the shifter and I personally will not discuss it on an open, public web site as it's dangerous and somebody might read it and try some fool something and get hurt or worse.
Site allow links to your own YouTube (or others) that are YOURS not from some other site. Your own pics thru Photobucket works for many also.
Again, again, again if you can't plain see some broken, bent or jammed up widget or test anything with results the web is of no use,
T
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Jcomm96
User
Nov 26, 2013, 6:57 AM
Post #12 of 25
(3042 views)
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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another thing is all the wheels are locked up. the front wheels are locked up cause of the front wheel drive an stuck in park..but the wheels in the back are drum brakes i think..how can i free them up? takee off the tire an tap on it with a hammer or somthing?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Nov 26, 2013, 7:41 AM
Post #13 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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High chances if you hoist both front wheels turning one will turn other in opposite direction even in Park. I somehow doubt it's made with limited slip feature or locks off ground - both that is. If this is an AWD version I'm shocked and never heard of one? Rear not free could be parking brake stuck or just enough rust on friction surface.
You said this was driven a month ago??!! Now all this?? Too fast too quick IMO for damaging rust unless it was parked by the remains of the Titanic or something.
I'll never say "always" or all of them as some exception will pop up but should be rear drum and you would need to remove a probably Phillips head screw with an impact driver first then fight with it. Heck, is parking brake on? That or stuck too!!??
Seems the trouble right now is just getting it to where you have tools and space - right? Tow companies tow about anything in any shape. Get it to where you can deal with this nonsense. I'm beginning to believe it was just $200 bucks for good reason,
T
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Jcomm96
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Nov 27, 2013, 5:31 PM
Post #14 of 25
(3010 views)
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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hey guys..here the video i took of the car shifter problem
http://youtu.be/Tskkc4sSRqk
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Jcomm96
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Nov 27, 2013, 6:11 PM
Post #15 of 25
(3005 views)
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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i think i found out my problem..on my video in the beginning..i show myslef pressing the brakes an that little white plastic bar moves in and out..well i was surfing youtube with the same problem an a came across this video ( http://youtu.be/8MzZ6YdTq78 ) if you jump to 1:00 min ..the guy shows an explains that the little plastic piece grabs that metal bar, pulling it back,,relesing something that maked the shifter enable to shift..i tried moveing that metal bar an it wont move..any ideas whats it called? or why wont it move or even what it goes to?
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Jcomm96
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Nov 30, 2013, 11:14 AM
Post #16 of 25
(2964 views)
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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Alright so I went to the car an that little plastic piece didn't help with anything..so I need to know what is the part on the other side of the shifter cable, the engine side..I looked it up an can not find anything on it
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Nov 30, 2013, 12:11 PM
Post #17 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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If you know what's missing or broken try either a dealer with a full blowup view and each tiny thing named with a # or a junkyard and go get the thing,
T
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Jcomm96
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Dec 4, 2013, 10:06 AM
Post #18 of 25
(2938 views)
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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alright..so the problem is narrowed down to the gear selector shaft that goes into the tranny...its stuck. Like something's lodged in there? I need a blow up of the shaft an what it looks like underneath the tranny cover...am I gonna have to drop the whole tranny to get to it or can I fix it with it still in the car?.. what could make it no turn? I mean it doesn't wiggle at all. it has no play...I need some options..haha.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Dec 4, 2013, 10:35 AM
Post #19 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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It's not making any sense. You need hands on help to find what's wrong or what happened. I'm out of ideas unless this was parked in wet cement or struck by lightening and everything welded up I have no clue why shifter and brakes are frozen solid like mentioned,
Tom
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Jcomm96
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Dec 4, 2013, 10:52 AM
Post #20 of 25
(2926 views)
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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That's what I'm not getting either...i don't know how it could've happen but that's my last option is to go in the tranny...I mean look at the video link..or just look up jjcommarto an you should see something like 96 escort won't come out of park...the gear selector shaft doesn't move at all..it's supposed to turn an its just not..am I missing something?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Dec 4, 2013, 11:33 AM
Post #21 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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It's makes no sense. I don't need a video this is ONE is messed up and IDK why. For goodness sakes you could take bolt cutters underhood, cut all shifting items off and shift it by hand (don't) but that and the brakes just don't add up. It's spooked!
Tom
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Jcomm96
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Dec 4, 2013, 6:22 PM
Post #22 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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all he said he did was drive the car to the house, parked it..an didnt touch it for a month..he came back too it and the thing stated fine but wouldnt go into any other gear then park. he took a tractor an tried rocking the car an all the wheels were locked up..my guess is the brake pads are rusted from sitting? i just really dont getwhat would cause the gear selector shaft to get lodged..i have to geta good look at it an the only way icould is if i drop the whole tranny..by any chance that when i get it yanked onto a flatbed, might it come free? how easy should the selector turn? like can i do it with my hand?idk..im just lost with this whole thing
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Dec 4, 2013, 11:41 PM
Post #23 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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Quote: ">>how easy should the selector turn?<<"
Doesn't this have the thingy that any rod or cable would turn exposed under the hood? That should turn by hand if items were off of it.
30 day or even more is fast for brakes to rust to lock and ones that I've dealt with in that short of time would just go free with a nudge OR just put in gear which you can't and go. Much rustier would need work and do on new cars sometimes too if they sit too long just getting an annoying spot so always feel like warped rotors.
I simply can't know the layout of everything ever made for what you would find under the hood at trans. I can't believe you have to or are thinking of removing the trans as you would be disconnecting all that type stuff, sensor wires and so on if you needed to anyway before removing it!
So if you could work on that end the dang rod or cable or whatever the dang way it moves to shift could be worked from that end if freed up at console end. If that feels welded stuck I'm lost if it worked so recently as I keep saying.
One very unlikely scenario and happened to me was a battery ground cable to engine block was not making much of a connection at all and that car had a cable to clutch such that when starter was requested that cable got so hot it welded itself locked, melted some plastic coating so was easy to figure out now freaking ages ago on a 1974 Mustang II that wasn't that old at that time. That would be so rare forget that. I don't think any mechanism would do that in this car's shifter with a fault like that.
Without witnessing and being right there what is happening I'm at a loss with this. If one thing could cause all this it escapes me in the short amount of time from when it all worked. If you said this was a flood car I'd believe any problems.
Go ahead and take a loooong video if you want showing everything you can, a wheel off of a disc brake and all. That's as close as the web is going to get for suggestions on what to do or where to check and how. So far I'm not understanding you and descriptions of what you are seeing and feeling in person. So far technology fails at that vs being there.
Keep trying or give it up and send it out as already said. Let a tow person deal with how to tow it they do that stuff wheels or not. This can't be this complicated we or I am just missing where the real problem is,
Tom
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
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Dec 5, 2013, 5:39 AM
Post #24 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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I'd jack the front tires off the ground and see if you can rotate the front tires. Park pawl could be jammed and not allowing you to move the selector out of park. You stated the car wouldn't move at all. Even in park, you should be able to move the car back and forth an inch.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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Jcomm96
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Dec 5, 2013, 6:22 AM
Post #25 of 25
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Re: 96 ford escort won't shift from park
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i will take a good video when i get the car to another place...i last hope before i tear into it is that when it gets yanked up on a flatbed the stuff breaks lose...im pretty sure the back tires will break lose...i just dont know about the gear selector rod going into the tranny...to sum it all up..the gear selecter rod will not turn..i took the shifter cable off and everything..still wont budge..soaked it with pb blaster an all sorts of stuff thats suppose to break things free an its just not working
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